Mission Hills Church to break ground in San Marcos

SAN MARCOS -- After five years of planning, Mission Hills Church
is slated to begin building the first part of its San Marcos home,
a 600-seat chapel, by the end of the summer.

"I think it's fantastic," said San Marcos resident and church
member Steve Kennedy, who has traveled with his family to the
church's Escondido site in the Emmanuel Faith Community Church
gymnasium for four years. "I've lived in San Marcos for 17 years,
and it'll be exciting to see what kind of impact the church will
have on my community."

By next year, the Kennedys could stroll to the new chapel at
Mulberry Drive and Borden Road from their home, five minutes
away.

Construction of the church, which has 400 members and will
eventually include a 2,800-seat sanctuary, will begin following
approval by the city's Public Works Department of the traffic
control measures during construction, said Sasson Haghgoo, city
principal engineer.

The approval, expected in the next few months, will initially
add one traffic lane to Borden Road and two lanes to Mulberry Drive
to offset traffic created by churchgoers. Haghgoo said the streets
will not be closed during the road widening.

In the first phase of the church construction, three structures
will be built: the 600-seat chapel with two wings, a children's
wing and an administration wing; a resource center with a bookstore
and coffee shop; and a maintenance building, said Pastor Michael
"Chico" Goff. Church doors could open as soon as September
2005.

"I'm optimistic (to open in 2005), but I'm a pastor, not a
builder," said Goff with a laugh.

By the project's completion, the church will include a 2,500- to
2,800-seat sanctuary and a community center with a gymnasium.

Over a fifth of Mission Hills' 400 members are from San Marcos,
Vista and surrounding communities, said Goff. He added that when
the church's bigger facilities open, attendance could grow to
around 700 people.

The church will sit on 32 acres of the old Hollandia Dairy site
next to Mission Hills High School, which will open this fall.

Original blueprints envisioned the church's entrance on Borden
Road, but residents' traffic concerns led the church to purchase
additional land to create Mission Hills Court road, off Mission
Road. The main entrance will be from Mission Hills Court, with two
exits off Borden Road, said Goff. The road will eventually be built
through to Mulberry Road.

While some homeowners voiced complaints about Mission Hills'
proposal in 2000, a compromise to lower the parking lot level and
shift the driveway entrance has made most residents in the Richland
neighborhood content, Goff said.

Resident Nancy Davis said she was never opposed to the religious
building, but was unhappy about the city's decision to build up the
area.

"I moved to San Marcos 14 years ago because of the rural area
with a farm across the street," Davis said. "But while it's not
what I would've preferred, I've resigned to it -- maybe this is
what people call progress."

For now, services will continue at Emmanuel Faith, Mission
Hills' sister church. Goff described it as a church within a
church. Goff said Mission Hills Church offers a "caffeinated yet
contemplative service" with both contemporary praise music and a
small choir.

"Our focus is to love God, serve people and change lives," said
Goff. "If we're not doing that, there's no point."

Groundbreaking planned

Mission Hills Church has planned a groundbreaking celebration at
its new San Marcos location at 5 p.m. July 18 at 400 Mission Hills
Court.